Hey, China: It’s The Onion and a joke

With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman’s dream come true. Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.

But The Onion I get. If you had any doubts, consider The Onion’s previous winners:

2011: Bashar al-Assad

2010: Bernie Madoff

2009: Charles and David Koch (co-winners)

2008: Ted Kaczynski

2007: T. Herman Zweibel

Its humor may be lost on folks in China. where the People’s Daily grabbed The Onion report and ran with it, adding a slideshow of heroic Kim photos.

The Onion now claims the People’s Daily as “a proud Communist subsidiary of The Onion, Inc.”

“Exemplary reportage, comrades,” it adds.

Later The Onion sent out this statement:

Will Tracy, Editor of The Onion, said:

“We are pleased that one of our many fine Communist subsidiaries, the People’s Daily in China, has received accolades for its coverage of our Sexiest Man Alive announcement. The People’s Daily has served as one of the Onion’s Far East bureaus for quite some time, and I believe their reportage as of late has been uncommonly fine, as well as politically astute. May our felicitous business association continue for centuries to come.”